Published: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 5:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 8:08 p.m.

DAYTONA BEACH — Balancing a pineapple on her head, Sarah Shaffer walked across a wooden plank before climbing up a wall and jumping into a pit of inflatable bananas and pineapples.

Facts

Still rowdy?

Crime statistics show a general decrease in incidents during Spring Break locally, while police have been busier in Daytona Beach's rival destination, Panama City Beach.

The Daytona Beach Police Department reports an overall 46 percent decrease in arrests during Spring Break citywide from 2007 to 2012, which includes everything from liquor law violations to burglaries. There were 579 arrests during Spring Break in 2012 compared to 1,070 in 2007. Liquor law violations decreased 23 percent, from 162 in 2007 to 125 in 2012.

The state Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco made 36 arrests for underage alcohol possession in March last year, which was down from 71 over the same period the year before. Agents have made 46 arrests over the first half of the month this year. Compare that to Bay County and Panama City Beach, where agents made 1,800 arrests last year (up from 1,590 the year before) and 231 between March 1-15 this year.

SOURCE: Daytona Beach Police Department; Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

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Despite windy and cool temperatures, more than 30 students eagerly lined up one day last week and rooted for friends as they went through an obstacle course promoting Del Monte Fresh Produce and "healthy, fun lifestyles."

The atmosphere was a sharp contrast to the Spring Break heydays of the late '80s and '90s when students packed Volusia County beaches and filled pool decks while cars lined State Road A1A bumper-to-bumper on their way to MTV concerts at the Bandshell.

Back in those days, companies distributed boxes of cigarettes and condoms. Compare that with last week, when hundreds of students seemed content to receive free Del Monte T-shirts, fresh fruit and sunglasses.

"We're not really party people," said Shaffer, 21, who came with fellow classmates from Ohio State University. "We've been out dancing and playing putt-putt golf. We thought it would be fun to come somewhere warm."

Local hotels, Spring Break organizers and law enforcement officials said students are calmer than in the past, partly because the area is not marketing to the large crowds. They'd rather shed the sex-and-drugs image, as portrayed in the movie "Spring Breakers," which opens this week and features four college women who go on a crime-spree to fund their vacation excesses on the west coast of Florida. Twenty years ago, the movie — starring 2013 Daytona 500 grand marshal James Franco — might have been filmed locally.

But the days of 300,000 college students descending on Daytona Beach — as Mid-Florida Marketing & Research reported in 1989 — are over, said Evelyn Fine, the company's president.

These days, Fine said, college students "really sort of disappear in the masses. They are not an obvious presence in the tourism mix."

Police and the Volusia County Beach Patrol say they still deal with drinking violations, including open containers on the beach and underage alcohol possession, but the problems, generally, are not at the levels of the past.

"About 10 years ago, it was a little more challenging for us to deal with the kids — and getting the word out that alcohol is not allowed on the beach," said Beach Patrol Capt. Tammy Marris.

Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood said he doesn't find "vomit all over the place" along A1A, students tossing furniture off balconies and the empty bottles and public urination that he used to see when he became chief seven years ago.

"They were more out of control in the past," Chitwood said. "I don't think people (and hotels) tolerate that anymore. We want a good image to have for the city and tourism year-round."

Tourism leaders pitch the area as a destination for family spring breaks and business travelers, according to Jeff Hentz, president of the Daytona Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. He said a reputation for wild-and-crazy spring breaks could "scare away" the types of business the area hopes to attract.

"I just think the image that comes along with being a Spring Break college destination creates more challenges than benefits," Hentz said. "We don't go out and promote Spring Break. We leave that up to the few hotels that are engaging in that market."

Some hotels, though, would like to see more marketing to bring in additional students.

"We want to introduce (Daytona) to as many young people as we can and send them home safe with wonderful memories so they will come back in years to come," said Scott Edwards with the Daytona Beach Welcome Center.

Edwards, who works with several area hotels to market to college students, thinks the Daytona Beach area is missing out when the visitors bureau doesn't promote to college students.

"The college students of today are a lot more sophisticated. They have credit cards and their own automobiles," Edwards said. "The days of 40 college students on a bus with a keg of beer in the back is over."

While no one has solid numbers on college students this year, Edwards said several thousand were here the first week of March and those numbers are up over last year.

Razzle's Nightclub on Seabreeze Boulevard is seeing about 900 college students on the weekends, though the numbers are down from three years ago with the economy and area leaders "not putting the welcome mat out," according to Kyriakos Drymonis, who owns Razzle's and the Oyster Pub with his brother.

Drymonis, whose family has run Razzle's for 26 years, doesn't want to see Spring Break return to its "unmanageable" days — but he would hate to see it go away.

"I want to see it at a point where all businesses can benefit from it," he said. "We certainly need it."

Hotel operators give the event mixed reviews.

"I have more Spring Breakers this week than last year at this time," said Michel Gignac, general manager of the Hawaiian Inn Beach Resort, who estimates business is up 5 percent. "I do wish there were more — but not out-of-control. These are our future customers."

But other hotels, such as the Bahama House and Plaza Resort & Spa, have found their niche with families.

"If we can stay busy with the bikers and the families, than that is the market we are going after," said Kerry Mitruska, director of sales and marketing for the Plaza Resort, which had some college students last week and supported Del Monte's healthy living efforts along with neighboring hotels.

Recent visitors said they came to enjoy the sun, meet people and party. Some said Daytona Beach was cheaper than destinations like Panama City Beach. Others called the local beach prettier than other Florida options.

Joseph Strozier, 23, a junior from Youngstown State University in Ohio, described Daytona as a "nice chill spot. A place where we can have fun, go to bars and various clubs to try to dance."

Taylor Kool, 21, a junior from Asbury University in Kentucky, said his group of nine were split on what they wanted to do.

"If you want to be calm, you can be calm and if you want to be rowdy, you can find rowdy," Kool said. "We just want to relax and get away from school and classes."

<p>DAYTONA BEACH &mdash; Balancing a pineapple on her head, Sarah Shaffer walked across a wooden plank before climbing up a wall and jumping into a pit of inflatable bananas and pineapples. </p><p>Despite windy and cool temperatures, more than 30 students eagerly lined up one day last week and rooted for friends as they went through an obstacle course promoting Del Monte Fresh Produce and "healthy, fun lifestyles." </p><p>The atmosphere was a sharp contrast to the Spring Break heydays of the late '80s and '90s when students packed Volusia County beaches and filled pool decks while cars lined State Road A1A bumper-to-bumper on their way to MTV concerts at the Bandshell. </p><p>Back in those days, companies distributed boxes of cigarettes and condoms. Compare that with last week, when hundreds of students seemed content to receive free Del Monte T-shirts, fresh fruit and sunglasses. </p><p>"We're not really party people," said Shaffer, 21, who came with fellow classmates from Ohio State University. "We've been out dancing and playing putt-putt golf. We thought it would be fun to come somewhere warm." </p><p>"We're looking forward to go-karts," added friend Michaela McConnell, 20. "There's still stuff to do when you're underage." </p><p>Local hotels, Spring Break organizers and law enforcement officials said students are calmer than in the past, partly because the area is not marketing to the large crowds. They'd rather shed the sex-and-drugs image, as portrayed in the movie "Spring Breakers," which opens this week and features four college women who go on a crime-spree to fund their vacation excesses on the west coast of Florida. Twenty years ago, the movie &mdash; starring 2013 Daytona 500 grand marshal James Franco &mdash; might have been filmed locally. </p><p>But the days of 300,000 college students descending on Daytona Beach &mdash; as Mid-Florida Marketing & Research reported in 1989 &mdash; are over, said Evelyn Fine, the company's president. </p><p>These days, Fine said, college students "really sort of disappear in the masses. They are not an obvious presence in the tourism mix." </p><p>Police and the Volusia County Beach Patrol say they still deal with drinking violations, including open containers on the beach and underage alcohol possession, but the problems, generally, are not at the levels of the past. </p><p>"About 10 years ago, it was a little more challenging for us to deal with the kids &mdash; and getting the word out that alcohol is not allowed on the beach," said Beach Patrol Capt. Tammy Marris. </p><p>Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood said he doesn't find "vomit all over the place" along A1A, students tossing furniture off balconies and the empty bottles and public urination that he used to see when he became chief seven years ago. </p><p>"They were more out of control in the past," Chitwood said. "I don't think people (and hotels) tolerate that anymore. We want a good image to have for the city and tourism year-round." </p><p>Tourism leaders pitch the area as a destination for family spring breaks and business travelers, according to Jeff Hentz, president of the Daytona Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. He said a reputation for wild-and-crazy spring breaks could "scare away" the types of business the area hopes to attract. </p><p>"I just think the image that comes along with being a Spring Break college destination creates more challenges than benefits," Hentz said. "We don't go out and promote Spring Break. We leave that up to the few hotels that are engaging in that market." </p><p>Some hotels, though, would like to see more marketing to bring in additional students. </p><p>"We want to introduce (Daytona) to as many young people as we can and send them home safe with wonderful memories so they will come back in years to come," said Scott Edwards with the Daytona Beach Welcome Center. </p><p> Edwards, who works with several area hotels to market to college students, thinks the Daytona Beach area is missing out when the visitors bureau doesn't promote to college students. </p><p>"The college students of today are a lot more sophisticated. They have credit cards and their own automobiles," Edwards said. "The days of 40 college students on a bus with a keg of beer in the back is over." </p><p>While no one has solid numbers on college students this year, Edwards said several thousand were here the first week of March and those numbers are up over last year. </p><p>Razzle's Nightclub on Seabreeze Boulevard is seeing about 900 college students on the weekends, though the numbers are down from three years ago with the economy and area leaders "not putting the welcome mat out," according to Kyriakos Drymonis, who owns Razzle's and the Oyster Pub with his brother. </p><p>Drymonis, whose family has run Razzle's for 26 years, doesn't want to see Spring Break return to its "unmanageable" days &mdash; but he would hate to see it go away. </p><p>"I want to see it at a point where all businesses can benefit from it," he said. "We certainly need it." </p><p>Hotel operators give the event mixed reviews. </p><p>"I have more Spring Breakers this week than last year at this time," said Michel Gignac, general manager of the Hawaiian Inn Beach Resort, who estimates business is up 5 percent. "I do wish there were more &mdash; but not out-of-control. These are our future customers." </p><p>But other hotels, such as the Bahama House and Plaza Resort & Spa, have found their niche with families. </p><p>"If we can stay busy with the bikers and the families, than that is the market we are going after," said Kerry Mitruska, director of sales and marketing for the Plaza Resort, which had some college students last week and supported Del Monte's healthy living efforts along with neighboring hotels. </p><p>Recent visitors said they came to enjoy the sun, meet people and party. Some said Daytona Beach was cheaper than destinations like Panama City Beach. Others called the local beach prettier than other Florida options. </p><p> Joseph Strozier, 23, a junior from Youngstown State University in Ohio, described Daytona as a "nice chill spot. A place where we can have fun, go to bars and various clubs to try to dance." </p><p> Taylor Kool, 21, a junior from Asbury University in Kentucky, said his group of nine were split on what they wanted to do. </p><p>"If you want to be calm, you can be calm and if you want to be rowdy, you can find rowdy," Kool said. "We just want to relax and get away from school and classes."</p>